The museum, located at 268 Dien Bien Phu Street in Thuan Hoa Ward, is currently exhibiting 18 large-scale war artefacts in its outdoor space, including aircraft, tanks, armoured vehicles and various types of artillery.
The museum moved to the site in 2024 after returning the Nguyen Dynasty’s Quoc Tu Giam complex, which it had used temporarily for storage and display. It is expected to relocate later to 24 To Huu Street in Vy Da Ward, the former headquarters of Thuan Hoa District.
The collection includes four aircraft, four tanks, two armoured vehicles and six artillery pieces from the war in Vietnam (1954-1975), four of them transferred by the Ministry of National Defence in 2012.
One exhibit is an A-37 aircraft captured during the Spring 1975 offensive at Bien Hoa airbase and later used by the Quyet Thang squadron to bomb Tan Son Nhat airport on April 28, 1975, damaging runways and destroying 24 aircraft ahead of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign victory.
Displayed nearby is an AD-7 aircraft used by US forces in the the Tri Thien Campaign of 1972. Years of outdoor display have left its fuselage corroded, paint faded and markings defaced.
A MiG-21 fighter jet, bearing serial number 6124, has also discoloured after prolonged exposure to weather without protective shelter.
All four tanks on display show heavy rusting on their hulls and tracks, while interiors of some vehicles have deteriorated significantly. Two armoured vehicles have suffered broken tracks and severe internal decay.
Six artillery pieces, including field guns, anti-aircraft guns and a self-propelled howitzer, have also deteriorated despite repainting efforts. One large-calibre self-propelled gun has visibly deflated tyres.
Nguyen Duc Loc, director of the Hue History Museum, said military specialists were invited earlier this year to assess the artefacts and propose preservation measures, but the plan stalled due to a lack of funding. The museum has since submitted a new proposal to the Hue City People’s Committee, seeking funds for conservation work in 2026.
